Mere Mortals

Mortality is such a blessing. Time flies, death urges, knells call, heaven invites, hell threatens. Being mortal gives meaning to our existence. What we do while we are here is of value. Every action has an impact. Imagine never dying- you can continue to make mistakes, continue your ways of living, no consequences, no regret or guilt because we will be without direction and at ease, existing forever and ever, our doings without any accountability because we can never die; never dying is never living! Fear of death or harm makes us 'human', immortality is 'inhuman'. No purpose of existence, just being there and doing things. Thank God that we are limited! Eyes that can not see everything, ears designed to hear within a range, mind that functions up to a certain limit; our limits make us the most superior creation of God. We are limited so that what we do has a value, so that we are important, so that we may have a chance to show compassion to the weak, rise against tyranny, let ourselves be count! We are limited so that we can make our mark.

Seek not, my soul, the life of the immortals; but enjoy to the full the resources that are within thy reach.
- Pindar

Deserving Education

I had the opportunity to visit a revamped government school in a backward are few days back. The school used to be a dumpster and a place for drugsters. Now it's home to many young aspiring girls having dreams and hopes clearly glimmered in their eyes. The classes were small but enthusiasm high. The room was crowded but students were not complaining as each bench was shared by 3 to 4 students. The students were divided into groups of threes and fours in the playground but organized in classrooms as they innocently answered the raised questions in one voice. The classes were really vibrant and full of energy. Students were not 'pushed' to learn rather they were 'pulled' towards it as was evident from their excitement in the classrooms. They wanted to learn more and do more. They corrected the teacher that there were 8 maths questions given as homework as opposed to 5. They asked why they were to practice ONLY 10 questions in class and not more. They were eager to get their practice answers checked by the teacher and get approval and appreciation. Such students deserve scholarships, sponsorships and support. Such students deserve opportunities and platform. Such students deserve education and not just literacy. Such students deserve a bright future.

“The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think—rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men.” 

- John Dewey

Purpose Of Life

We all have good and evil in ourselves. That's what makes us human; we have the potential to be good and are also prone to err. One cares about his/her outlook because it can be observed but what about the inner self? No one but oneself can be sure about that. One has a mirror that reflects the true image about oneself- conscience! One is always at war. The battle to choose good and be on the right path. This is the constant inner battle that each of us go through. Life is a struggle and the most important endeavour is to differentiate between right and wrong. This is the purpose of life. To shun the evils and to embrace the goodness. People often lose sight or never really have any clue in the first place about the purpose of their existence. They set for themselves achievable short term goals which define their lives. Great job, great company, comfortable living; all these can't possibly be the purpose of life simply because you can always achieve these targets. Purpose of life is endless. If one believes his/her life purpose to be materialistic then what after he achieves this target? Once s/he has achieved this materialistic purpose of life, the life is meaningless as the purpose is fulfilled BUT the life goes on. That is why I believe that true purpose of life is endless and has to be a constant battle; the most important battle, the inner battle!

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

No Pain No Gain

Hardships are opportunity cost if not learnt from. One can learn from tough times and rough patches; build resilience to sufferings and show character in the face of hardships. Pleasure makes us complacent and thankless, pain makes us considerate and compassionate. We tend to think about others after we've been through suffering. We can relate to them. We are more wary of how testing times can reduce one to helplessness and hopelessness. As we make it through the difficulty, through the dark tunnel into the light; we emerge as more compassionate, more grateful and more 'human'. It helps us realize our vulnerability and fragility so that we seek God's help to show us the direction of ultimate success and save us from the path of absolute harm. So that we may seek salvation and hope for redemption. Pain makes a believer out of us.

"Behind every trial and sorrow that He makes us shoulder, God has a reason." 
— Khaled Hosseini (A Thousand Splendid Suns)

Kids Are Teachers

When they laugh, they laugh with all their heart
When they cry, they don't hold back their tears
When they believe in something, doubts don't creep in
Injuries don't hold them back
They never get drained out of energy
They can enjoy alone, all by themselves
They scream with all their might and whisper so gently
Their eyes gleam with dreams and hope
They love rewards and fear punishment
They listen to their heart and live in the moment
They insist, persist and get what they want
They live as there was no yesterday and there is no tomorrow; each day starts with a clean slate
They don't waste time, keep themselves engaged
When they hold your hand with their little fingers, they give you the best feeling in the world!
They are a great source of joy,
They are a greater source of inspiration.

A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer.

Humans - An Epitome of Failure

One lusts for material but forgets to love what matters
One has become literate but not educated, educated but not wise
One desires comfort and despises change
One responds to temptation but has stopped responding to the call of conscience
One prefers expensive junk food over delicious home-made food
One drives fast but learns slow
One forgets to share but never fails to show-off
One flies high in the sky but dives dark deep for selfish interests
One sails in deep waters but has shallow moral grounds
One connects to the world through internet but avoids the neighbours
One has made nuclear bombs and disregarded nuclear families
One hangs out with friends but can't find time for parents
Heroes are confined to movies and villains in reality are far worse than fiction
One trades peace for pleasure
One exists and not live
One demonstrates cruelty and not compassion
One aims at popularity rather than piety
One asks for fame rather than forgiveness
Simplicity is viewed as stupidity
Clarity of objective as crime
Humans are failure;
Having blurred their purpose,
Distorted their image,
Confused their ideals,
Misused their success,
Overlooked their failures.
A long way from being the best they can be!

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less well...ness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies and pills that do every-thing from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stock room. A time when technology can bring this letter to you.

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

Education - A Curse

Education is suppose to liberate us so that we can realize our potential but sadly in Pakistan, it only limits us from fulfilling that potential. We have a multiplistic educational system in Pakistan. Syllabus wise the system is divided into Matriculation, Madressahs and O'Levels and structure wise we have the elite, public and private schools. Education is discriminatory in Pakistan. Education develops our underdevelopment. Only rich can afford quality education and poor are left to study in unsupervised, under-resourced schools. Rich acquire quality education and excel in their fields of interest whereas the poor settle for low-waged jobs due to their unsatisfactory quality of education. Rich becomes richer, poor remains poor. Education divides our people and promotes inequality. We are divided on so many fronts and education is the most subtlest of them and perhaps the most dangerous too! It's time we rectify our systems of the state because these are the foundation of the country and can make or break Pakistan.

Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained
- James A. Garfield